Vehicle-brake.



No. 748,016. PATENTED D3019, 1.903.

0. E. ROBERTS. VEHICLE BRAKE.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 14, 1900. RENEWED AUG U. 1903.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1..

y no MODEL.

m: uunms ravens co. Pmmu'ma. wnsummom by p Patented December 29, 1903..

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. ROBERTS, OF OAKPARK, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1 To. 748,016, datedDecember 29, 1903.

Original application filed September 17 1900, Serial No. 30,238. Dividedand this application filed December 14, 1900.

Renewed August 17, 1903.v Serial 170.169.5329. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States,residing in Oakpark, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented anew and useful Improvement in-Brakes forVehicles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to brakes for automobiles or motor-vehicles of alldescriptions; and its main object has been to provide a powerful brake,especially applicable to automobiles, which shall be simple ofconstruction and operation.

The invention consists in certain features of novelty in construction,combinatiomand arrangement of parts by which the said object and certainother objects hereinafter appearing are attained, all as fully describedwith reference to the accompanyingdrawings, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of an automobile-wheel andthe motor for driving the same provided with my improvements, certainportions being shown in 1 section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged verticalsectional view taken on the line a; a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view, and Fig. 4 is a section at right angles to Fig. 3.

In illustrating my invention I have shown it in connection with thedriver of an autothereon and secured to a gear-wheel 3, which lattermeshes with a pinion 4, journaled in an arm 5, rigidly secured to theaxle 1, and 6 represents the axle or spindle of an electric motor,preferably incasedin a shell 7, the armature and winding being omittedin the drawings. One end of the motor-shaft 6 is provided with a slot 8,in which is inserted one end of a flexible connection in the form of aflat elastic blade 9, whose other end is with steel or equivalentmaterial.

inserted ina similar slot in one end of a short shaft 10, upon which thepinion 4 is secured, thus providing the motor with means forcommunicating its motion to the pinion 4, while at the same timeallowing of a slight degree of independent rotation of both the pinionand motor and also allowing the motor-shaft to vibrate or oscillateindependently of the pinion-shaft, if necessary. The ends of the blade 9are held against lateral displacement by means of collars 11 12,threaded over the ends of the shafts 6 10, respectively.

One side of each shell 7 is provided with a removable cap 13, which ispreferably of suflicient diameter to admit the hub 14 of the motor, andin this cap 13 are mounted the antifriction-bearings of the shaft 6 atthe end opposite that disclosed in Fig. 1. Where two motors areemployed, the caps 13 on the opposed sides of the shell 7 are connectedtogether by a union 15, so as to completely close the outer end of eachcap 13 and render the shell 7 dustproof. I

In providing an electric automobile with my improved brake I prefer toapply the brake to the motor-shaft or, more specifically speaking, toits hub. When the hub 14 is constructed of comparatively soft material,I face the same where the brake is applied In the example of myinvention shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings the outerside of the hub 14 is provided with a salient flange or resistance-band16, in which is forced a steel ring 17, forming a contact for thebrake-shoes. These shoes are shown at 18 and are preferably three innumber, each circular on its exterior and arranged one after the otheraround the interior-of the ring 17, as better shown in Fig. 3, so as toleave slight spaces between their ends, the surfaces of the shoes, ifdesired, being equipped with strips 19 of some suitable material forreceiving the wear. Arranged concentrically within the circle describedby the shoes 18 is a revoluble ring 20, which is journaled on a collaror bushing 21 and flanked by two flanges. One of these'flanges is shownat 22 and is preferably formed on the collar or bushing 21, while theother is in the form of an annular plate 23, sleeved over an annularflange 24, formed on the inner side of the cap 13 and serving also tosustain the bushing 21, against which the flange 23 abuts. These flanges22 23 are tied together and firmly held against rotation by means of anumber of screw-bolts 25, which pass through both of said flanges andare threaded in the shell 13, as better shown in Fig. 2, and said screwsalso pass through notches 26, formed in the inner edge of each of theshoes 18, whereby the shoes 18 will be held against rotary movementwhile permitted to move in a radial direction, it being understood, ofcourse, that the shoes 18 are likewise flanked by the two flanges 22 23.Arranged between each of the shoes 18 and the periphery of the ring 20are a number of wedging levers or arms 27, whose ends are provided withcircular heads 28, seated in circular sockets in the ring 20 and shoes18, respectively, the sockets being 5 formed to embrace more than ahalf-circle'of each of the heads, so as to prevent dislodgof the ring,and thereby force the shoes firmly against the steel ring or band 17with great pressure, the shoes being held against r0 tary movement withthe ring by the stops 25. This relative movement of the ring 20 iseffected by means of a toothed segment 29, arranged between the flanges22 23 and meshing with a segment-rack 30, formed on the periphery of thering 20, the segment 29 being keyed or otherwise secured to a shortshaft 31, journaled in the cap 13 and having an operating-lever 32 onits exterior for the attachment of the cross-bar 33, connecting thelevers 32 of the two motors and joined centrally to a lever forming partof the connecting mechanism by which the rider operates the-brakes. Bythis means it will be seen that I locate the brake wholly within themotor-shell, entirely excluded from dust and moisture, with capabilityat the same time of being readily removed for repairs. It will also benoticed that by connecting the operating-levers 32 of the two brakes bymeans of the bar 33 serving as an equalizing device I am enabled toapply the hand-power equally to both brakes by the use of a singlehandlever and also to set the brakes very quickly.

This application is a divisional one, the subject-matter thereof beingembraced in my application, Serial No. 30,238, filed September 17, 1900.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A brake mechanism for the purpose described having incombination arecessed or flanged hub, circular brake-shoes arranged within'the recessor flange of said hub and adapted to impinge thereagainst, a ring aroundwhich said brake-shoes are arranged, wedging-arms arranged between saidbrakeshoes and ring, means for holding said brakeshoes against rotationwith said ring and means for rotating said ring relatively to saidbrake-shoes, substantially as set forth.

2. A brake mechanism for the purpose described having in combination arecessed or flanged h'ub on the member to be arrested, circularbrake-shoes arranged within said recess or flange and adapted to impingethereagainst, a ring around which said brakeshoes are located, wedgingarms or levers arranged between said ring and brake-shoes, means forholding said brake-shoes against rotation with said ring, a segmenthaving toothed connection with said ring for rotating it and flangesflanking said segment-ring and brake-shoes for holding them in place insaid recessed hub, substantially as set forth.

3. A brake mechanismfor the purpose described having in combination aflanged or recessed hub on the member to be arrested, the cap 13 inwhich said hub is journaled, having the flange 24, a bushing sleeved onsaid flange, a ring surrounding said bushing, the flanges 22, 23, alsosurrounding said bushing, brake-shoes arranged between said flanges 22,23, and adapted to impinge against the flange of said hub, a ringarranged around said bushing between said flanges 22, 23, and aroundwhich ring said shoes are located, wedging devices arranged between saidshoes and ring, for rotating said ring independently of said shoes, andbolts or stops passing through said flanges 22, 23, and also throughsaid shoes for holding the latter against rotation, substantially as setforth.

4:. A brake mechanism for the purpose described having in combination aflanged or. recessed hubon the member to be arrested, the cap 13 inwhich said hub is journaled, an outwardly-movable brake-shoe supportedon and carried by said cap and adapted to impinge the flange of saidhub, a shaft journaled in said cap and carrying means for effecting themovement of said brake-shoe and means for rotating said shaft,substantially as set forth.

5. In a brake mechanism for the purpose described, a motor,driving-wheels and means IIO for quickly checking the rotation of themo- -member 24, brake-shoes arranged between said rotary member andband, inclined wedging-arms arranged between said shoes and rotarymember and means for rotating said rotary member relatively to saidshoes, substantially as set forth.

7. In a brake mechanism for the purpose described the combination of aplurality of brake-shoes, a rotary member around which said brake-shoesare arranged, having teeth, Wedging-arms between said shoes and rotarymember, a toothed segment engaging said teeth on the rotary member, arocker-shaft for operating said segment and flankingplates between whichsaid shoes, rotary member and said segment are arranged and held and inwhich plat-es said shaft is journaled, said shoes, rotary member andsegment being arranged in the same perpendicular plane,

substantially as set forth.

8. In a brake mechanism for the purpose described the combination of ahub having a resistance-band, a brake-shoe fixed against rotation withsaid band, a rotary member between which and said band said shoe islocated, Wedging-arms interposed between said with said hub,substantially as set forth.

10. The combination with the flange 16 attached to the armature, ofbrake-shoes 18, the ring 20 and links for expanding the shoes, and thesegment 29 for actuating said ring and operable by the driver,substantially as specified.

CHARLES E. ROBERTS.

Witnesses: H. M. MUNDAY,

EDW. S. EVARTS.

